Please be aware that course offerings are subject to change for reasons beyond our control, and that in particular the list of course offerings for Spring 2010 is tentative [so tentative, in fact, that we haven’t posted it yet!]. However, we hope to get those posted soon, and that you will find it helpful to have those courses in mind as you register for Fall 2009. We will update the course offerings and descriptions online; you should also check in Banner for possible changes. And please feel free to contact program director Glenn Hendler with any questions (718-817-4773, or better, amerstudies@fordham.edu). You may also want to contact individual instructors with questions about their courses.

The course listings are organized here by semester and campus. So, in the left column you’ll see links to courses offered at Rose Hill in Fall 2009 and courses offered at Lincoln Center in Fall 2009; soon there will be links to courses offered at Rose Hill in Spring 2010 and courses offered at Lincoln Center in Spring 2010. Note that American Studies majors and minors from either campus can take courses on either campus.

Also, the fact that a course is listed here means that it will count toward the major or minor (even if it doesn’t seem so on Banner), but it does not guarantee that you can get into that course. And you are still subject to any prerequisites the course bears, or any limitations on enrollment (e.g., seniors only). Please be sure to look at the original department site to find out if there are any such prerequisites or other limitations.

Each course on this list (except the three specific courses required of all American studies majors) has two sets of parentheses after it. In the first you’ll find the letters L, A, R, and/or H, indicating which multidisciplinary diversity requirement(s) the course fulfills. L is for Literature; A is for Art, music, theater, or media; R is for Religion or philosophy; H is for History or social science. In the second set of parentheses you’ll find the letters C, D, and/or P, indicating which of the three concentrations the course fits into. C is for Cultural products; D is for Diversity and difference; P is for Power, politics, and institutions. In each set of parentheses, there may be more than one letter, since many courses fulfill more than one goal. As you know, a single course can fulfill a multidisciplinary diversity requirement and count toward your concentration, but a single course cannot be used to fulfill two multidisciplinary diversity requirements.

In the left column, you’ll see a link to a page with Fall 2009 courses listed according to the American Studies requirements they fulfill. For instance, if you need one more course finish your “Diversity and difference” concentration, go to that page and click on that link at the top of the page, and you will see a list of all the courses offered in Fall 2009 that fit in that concentration. You’ll still need to go to the main course descriptions page to see a full description of the course.

If you see a course here that you think should fulfill a requirement but it does not have that designation, bring up the issue with the director of the program, who is always open to suggestions. 

For more details about these designations go to the “Requirements” page

Cultural Products (C): This concentration focuses on American literature, arts, media, and thought, examining their history and place in American culture and society. Students primarily take courses in literature, film, media, music, the visual arts, the performing arts, popular culture, philosophy, and intellectual history.
 
Diversity and Difference (D): This concentration takes up the problem of American social and cultural pluralism. Students will consider the place of such categories as race, ethnicity, class, gender, and religion in American history. Students primarily take courses in literature, philosophy, African-American studies, history, political science, Urban Studies, Women’s Studies, religion, American Catholic Studies, and sociology.
 
Power, Politics, and Institutions (P): This concentration focuses on American society and institutions such as politics and religion. Students primarily take courses in political science, history, sociology, American Catholic Studies, African-American Studies, and Urban Studies.